Hooley,
Personally i think you will struggle to find a "good" 916 advertised for 3 to 3.5 thousand. However if someone is keen enough to sell.
I have rarely seen any 916 advertised at less £4,000. Ducatis are no different to any other make in that there is threshold below which the "going rate" doesn't fall below.
Like I say what price bikes are advertised for and what they achieve price wise can well be different. The places you are looking are OK I would try
www.autotrader.co.uk the bike bit and do a country wide search and limit your price to see if anything is available advertised something near the price you want to pay.
When you are looking at a sub £4000 916 you need to be aware of the cost of any parts that need replacing is likely to be higher than Jap stuff. A service if needed is likely to cost a good bit more than jap stuff especially if the bike is due cam belts.
Now is a good time of year to buy a bike and get it serviced ready for next year if you have the money or credit to do it now.
Ray.
[Edited on 30-11-2004 by Ray]